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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — in control
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. drill — army training
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. charge — a price
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. ball — a great time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. charge — electricity
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com